Playmates
by Kagome-Inu5
Summary: "Would you like to explain to me why you thought it would be a good idea to cut Courtney's hair off with a pair of scissors?" -Little!DxC
1. Hair

Duncan's mother frowned at her son, who had his hands clasped together in front of him; head titled downward and staring at his feet from where he sat in the plastic chair. The picture child of shame.

She knew from experience that he felt absolutely no remorse for his deed. Even at six, he was a trouble-maker. She hadn't the faintest idea why on earth she thought he would improve his behavior with age.

"Duncan," Karen Vega, Duncan's first grade teacher spoke from behind her desk. Duncan's head rose, and he shot her a pout. Tears lined his almost teal-colored eyes; identical to her own.

Emily Evans fought between wanting to be the slightest bit proud at his clearly exceptional acting skills, and being disappointed in him. She settled on a mixture of the two.

"Yes, Ms. K?" Duncan responded in a meek voice, lower lip jutting out further.

Emily held back a laugh at his over the top, sorrow-filled expression. Given their current situation, laughing would be entirely inappropriate. Still, she had to bite onto her lip to keep from making a sound.

Her husband always told her she wasn't disciplined enough, a trait which she passed on to their youngest son.

She told him he was just a stick in the mud.

"Would you like to explain to me why you thought it would be a good idea to cut Courtney's hair off with a pair of scissors?" Karen demanded to know, pushing the classes that hung off her nose back up the bridge.

Tears evaporating within a blink of the eye, Duncan pursed his lips in thought. "Because it looked pretty," He admitted, and Emily nearly cooed at the pink flush his face was turning. Of all the times she wished she'd brought her camera. "I wanted to cut some off, and keep it." While his actions weren't very noble, as well as a bit odd, his intentions were pure.

Emily smiled gently and turned to her little boy, reaching forward to brush some of his shaggy black hair back from his face. "Do you like this Courtney girl, sweetie?"

He scrunched up his face in disgust. "Ew! No, she's a girl, mom! That's so gross!"

Karen and Emily both shared a look, before cracking up a bit.

"Alright." Ms. Vega said once the grown woman got their giggles under control, and Duncan stopped looking at them like they were utterly insane. "I think you owe Courtney an apology, young man."

Mrs. Evans nodded. "I agree. Come on, honey, let's go find her."

He grunted, but took her hand when she offered it to him, and exited the classroom.

A small ways away, Courtney sat with both her parents, both of which were trying to console the brunette by informing her that her hair would in fact grow back. Courtney however, didn't believe a word of it, and continued to wail and cry at the loss of a piece of her gorgeous hair. In her mind, she was a mutant now. No better than those monsters on TV, or the ones she was positive were hiding in her closet at nighttime.

"Excuse me, Mr and Mrs Callahan?" Emily spoke, gathering the couple's attention. "My son would like to apologize to your daughter for the incident."

"Go on, Courtney, go talk to him." Her mother whispered softly to the girl when she refused to budge from the bench she sat upon.

With a look of what could be called nothing else but exasperation, Courtney slid from her seat and walked toward the boy.

"I'm sorry for cutting off your hair." Duncan mumbled reluctantly, reaching into the small pocket of his pants and pulling out a insignificant clump of brown hair.

Saying nothing, she tentatively reached forward and took the hair from his sticky hand, then immediately spun on her heel and stared at her parents with a dead-serious look. "Put it back on me!" Her mother and father exchanged looks, but Emily jumped in before they had a chance.

"Let me see, cutie pie." She said, kneeling down to the little girl's level, who smiled shyly and gave up the lock of hair willingly.

Taking the piece of hair where her son had cut, she reached up and pretended to attach the lost hair. "There you go, it's all done." Mrs. Evans leaned in further and cupped a hand over her mouth, and whispered secretively in the small girl's ear. "But, I'm afraid to say, the hair is invisible now."

Courtney gasped. "Oh no! How do I fix it?"

Emily smiled and continued to whisper, "Don't touch it. It will reappear, but it's going to take some time, okay? Don't expect it to be there by tomorrow."

Courtney nodded her head firmly. Emily nearly expected her to salute, with the look of pure determination on her face.

"Mom, can we go now?" Duncan whined, now juggling his Spider-man backpack and jacket uncomfortably in his arms.

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Pardon me, Mrs. Evans, is it?" Courtney's mom piped up, smiling. "Thank you for... helping Courtney, with her problem."

Emily laughed lightly. "Oh, it was no trouble. I promise Duncan wouldn't get scissor happy on your daughter's hair anymore. Right, Duncan?" The stern look she sent him made him straighten up slightly and nod his head. It was the same look she gave him before threatening to take away his toys if he didn't listen.

The parents all gave each other one last nod and smile, before going their separate ways.

As the two children followed their parents, they looked over their shoulders at the exact same time, and gave one another identical fleeting grins of their own.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I considered making this a multi-chapter story, as I can't get enough of kid!Duncan and Courtney. Would you be interested in seeing their little lives in grade school? :P Review, and let me know! -But keep in mind, the farthest I'd make this story, would be three or four chapters-<br>**


	2. Flameo

"I'm not going!" Duncan shouts, arms clutched around the armrest of the couch, as if he expects his mother to grab him around the waist and yank him out of the house. The thought crossed her mind.

"Sweetie," Emily tries a different approach. As she learned from his two older brothers who were now forth and fifth graders, force was a last resort. "Don't you like school?"

"_No._" He deadpans. The look he's giving her is trademark Duncan. She sees that look as he grows up more often the not; a look of rebellion, and defiance.

"What about all the friends you made? Don't you want to go play with them?" Emily enquires, trying to resist glancing at her wrist watch which will tell her they should of been out the door five minutes ago.

Duncan pauses to think it over, -she wants to pinch his cheeks at this- then loosens his death-grip around the sofa. "Do I have to, momma?" He asks, hopefulness obvious in his tone.

She takes his hand and smiles apologetically. "I'm afraid so, Dunc."

Mrs. Evans assumes everything will go well after that, until she says those four words, and he's back to clinging onto the couch and shouting about how he's never going back.

Force ends up being necessary.

* * *

><p>Courtney's up at the crack of dawn, something which has yet to change as she grew into a young adult. She flounces around the house, calling to her parents how it's time to wake up and take her to school. Her seemingly favourite place to be.<p>

She's yet to grasp the concept that five in the morning was too early to go to school; and that wearing her Mommy's favourite heels which were four sizes too big, also wasn't an option.

Still, every time her parents try to explain it to her, she shakes her head out of stubbornness. "I want to be a grown up, like mommy!" The shoes end up on top of the refrigerator; well out of the child's reach.

Eventually it leads to Mrs. Callahan reluctantly allowing her daughter to wear the smallest amount of make-up, a little blazer and some dress pants, and those plastic dress-up wedges. Courtney, who is thrilled with this, and marches around the house all morning exclaiming to everyone who will listen, -including their four year old cat- how grown up she is.

It's a nightmare trying to convince Courtney to change out of her sparkly wedges when it _does _come time for school, so she's brought to her Elementary school the way she is; positively beaming.

* * *

><p>An hour passes and Courtney's shoes are discarded in the corner of the classroom in favour of her in-door shoes; a comfy pair of pink, light-up runners. It's been a few days since the hair cutting incident; Courtney's been careful not to touch her <em>'invisible'<em> piece of hair as Duncan's mommy instructed. She's almost forgotten about it all together.

Duncan seems to _have _forgotten about it, entirely. He's too busy focusing on drawing what he claims to be, _"The best picture ever!". _Something he has been working away at for days, instead of on the workbook Ms. Vega laid out on their desks.

"What is it?" Courtney asks, when the recess bell rings and he's the only one not going outside. -Because he got in trouble for not doing his work, but she doesn't need to know that, he thinks.- Duncan's still coloring, face scrunched up in utter concentration.

Courtney found staying inside a much better option then going out in the rain, with all the other kids. She wants to show Ms. Vegan her grown up outfit, -for the thirteenth time- but the woman had stepped out of the class to use the washroom. So, it left her waiting inside with Duncan.

"Flameo." He answers, looking almost annoyed when she makes a confused face. "My pet dragon!" He exclaims, waving the sheet of paper in front of her face. It's got something relatively dragon-shaped on the page, but the crayon has gone off the page many times, making recognizing what it's supposed to be, rather hard.

"You have a pet dragon?" She asks in awe, mouth forming a little _O. -_Her mother won't even let her have a unicorn! Even after she promised to clean up after it, and walk it everyday!- A spark of jealousy flares through her system.

A smirk lights up his face; a smug, twist of his lips. "Yep!"

She huffs, jealousy, -though she's unaware of what the emotion she's currently feeling is called-, pulsing through her like a volcano. Angrily, her hand shoots forward, grabbing the paper out of his own hands and ripping it down the middle without a moment of hesitation.

-Though he would deny it until his dying breath, later- At that moment, tears spring to his eyes, from seeing his precious masterpiece torn to shreds before him.

Then, he decides to use the phrase his dad had used after hitting himself in the thumb with a hammer. Duncan assumed it meant you were really angry about something, because boy, had his dad been mad.

"You're a son of a bitch!" He shouted.

"No!" She glared. "Sons can only be _boys_! I'm a _girl!_" She counters.

"Well what about the sun in the _sky_, then?" He demands to know, which puzzles her for second, giving him enough time to strike. "Are you _sure _you're a girl? Cause to me, you're just a stupid, ugly, _boy!_"

Next thing Duncan knows, he's being tackled to the carpet and his hair is being pulled on while she shouts insults back at him.

Next thing their _parents _know, they're all sitting before Ms. Vega, who looks anything but pleased.

Her tone is slightly acidic. "Shall we pencil in another meeting here, next week?"


	3. Snow

It's Saturday morning, and Duncan has claimed his usual spot on the sofa for the viewing of cartoons. Bowl of Captain Crunch cereal in hand, he grabs the remote and pushes the _on _button. Nothing happens.

Frowning, he pushes it again, to no avail. Flipping the electronic device on it's back, he clumsily takes off the back piece and examines the batteries. They look new, and are placed as the diagram above, states.

Finally, he gives up on the remote control, and sets his bowl on the coffee table at his feet. Sliding off the couch, he moves over to the TV; Pikachu slippers scraping against the cool hardwood floor. Pushing the _power _button on the TV set proves to be useless as well.

"Work!" He shouts at it, huffing and crossing his arms over his chest angrily. "I'm missing Pokemon!"

He hears footsteps pad down the stairs that lead into the living room, and a loud yawn. It's his mother. "Dunc, honey, what's all the shouting? It's seven in the morning." Emily asks, already heading toward the kitchen for a nice cup of coffee.

"The TV won't work!" He glares ruefully at the television set, the same time Emily goes to flick on a light switch and no lights come on.

Moving over to the kitchen window, and pulling the curtains open, proves her suspicions correct. There's a heavy snowstorm blowing outside. "The power's out, honey."

Duncan groans and flops face-first onto the couch as if he has no reason to live any further. She wonders who he got these dramatic moments from.

"You know," Emily starts, walking over from the open kitchen into the living room and taking a seat next to her moping son. "You could always go play outside."

He perks up a little at the thought, and runs down the hallway toward his bedroom to retrieve his snow gear before Mrs. Evans has a chance to say anymore on the subject.

* * *

><p>"Daddy, I'm missing Winx Club!" Courtney announces, shaking her father from where he and her mother are still asleep in bed. "The TV won't work!"<p>

Mr. Callahan lifts his head up wearily. "Is it plugged in, Ducky?" He runs a hand over his face to wake himself up.

Courtney nods frantically. "Please help!"

Sighing, he slowly drags himself out from the warm blankets, and glances at the digital clock next to him to see no numbers at all. "Oh, Ducky, I think the power is out."

Gasping in disbelief, she races over to the nearest window and almost rips the curtains in her haste to look outside. Sure enough, already piles of snow litter the ground, while more still whips around in the icy winds.

"How about you go play out in the yard, instead? I'm sure it will come on soon." He suggests softly, patting her shoulder after locating and throwing on his robe.

"With my pretty new snow boots?" She asks hopefully.

"Of course."

Smiling, the brunette child quietly exits the bedroom as to not wake up her Mommy, then runs into her bedroom to start getting ready.

* * *

><p>Speeding down the street as best as he could, Duncan turns the corner on his <em>big boy<em> bike. Admittedly, it was having a little difficulty trudging through the snow-covered streets, but he perceived. Duncan was nothing if not stubborn. Besides, he loved riding his bike, because he was one of the only kids in his class who had their training wheels off. It made him feel proud, and a little smug.

"Gotta... get Geoff!" Duncan says to himself, breathing heavily. Driving up the slick hill was proving to be a lot harder than he first thought. Finally accepting defeat, he hops off the bike and beings walking it up the rest of the way.

Moving down the street, he pauses when he sees something like a pink blur in the distance. Sitting on the front lawn of one of the houses, he moves closer to get a better look. Instantly, he knew who it was.

Anger and bitterness fills him, as he remembers his precious Flameo.

His death would not go unavenged. But first, he needs Geoff's help.

Courtney exits her home and hops down the steps, shivering as a cold breeze nearly tosses her sideways. Remembering that her father told her to stay close, she goes over to her front yard and tests the snow. It's more like dust, then anything else. Nothing could be made out of it.

Sulking at her discovery, she simply sits down in the powdery snow, and watches as the cars drive by.

That only last four seconds, before boredom takes over. She falls backward in the snow, feeling the coldness of it against the back of her neck, where her hat doesn't cover.

"Hey!" A voice shouts, and before she knows it, she's covered in snow. Feeling it slither down her shirt, she sits up quickly and wipes her eyes. Once her vision clears, she's glaring at the two boys in front of her, who are carrying two large buckets. "That's for Flameo!" Duncan shouts angrily, while Geoff snickers.

"Go away!" She shouts, getting back up on her feet and kicking snow furiously at the two who easily step out of the way of the on-coming snow she projects at them.

Duncan and Geoff share a mischievous look, before the former smirks. "Get her!" He exclaims and the two pounce upon the brunette, tying her up with skipping ropes.

"W-What are you doing?" She demands to know, struggling against the ropes that now have her completely immobile.

"Shh!" Duncan hisses. "We're your kidnappers!"

"Kidnappers?" Courtney repeats, frightened. Opening her mouth to scream, Duncan covers it with his hand, putting on his best _villain face._

"Now you better not scream, or you'll be sleeping with the fishes!" Geoff shouts, pointing at her with his index finger and thumb, making the shape of a pretend gun.

Confused, considering Courtney has had many dreams of meeting Ariel the mermaid, she doesn't understand why it would be a bad thing to sleep with the fishes.

Still, she keeps her mouth shut as the boys grabbed her by the hood her her coat, and began to drag her.

It takes fifteen minutes with the two of them pulling, to get back down the hill with their hostage. She proved to be a lot heavier than they thought.

By that time, Courtney's teeth are chattering, and she can almost swear her butt is nothing but an ice cube, now, even through her snow pants.

"Alright G, let's gets her into my bedroom. Uh, I mean our secret hideout!" Duncan corrects himself.

"Right, D!"

It takes another ten minutes to drag her up the stairs and into the boys' secret hideout.

Once they're all finally inside his bedroom, the boys move quickly and tie her up to the little plastic chair Duncan has, and he grabs the emergency flashlight from in the plastic, matching desk's drawer. He considers this an emergency. Flicking it on, he points it in her face, and she squints. "You killed Flameo! What do you have to say for yourself?" He glances at Geoff, who is hitting his blowup plastic bat he got from the carnival a couple months ago, into his hand, threateningly. "You best tell the truth!" Geoff adds.

Turning her head and chewing on her lip for a moment, Courtney mumbles, "It was unfair."

"What's that? I can't hear ya!" Duncan shouts, leaning in closer.

"It was unfair." She says again, louder this time. "That's why I ripped up your nice picture. I don't got a dragon, and I didn't think it was fair."

Duncan frowns, pondering this. "You could of played with him, too." He says softly, lowering the flashlight from her face. "He thinks girls don't have cooties, so he would of let you."

Duncan doesn't think girls have cooties either, but he doesn't tell her that.

She brightens slightly. "I'm sorry I ruined your pretty picture, so can I meet Flameo now?"

Duncan doesn't get to open his mouth, before his bedroom door squeaks open and Emily pokes her head in. Seeing her son leaning close to a girl; noses almost touching, with her tied to a chair, a bat in Geoff's hand, and flashlight in Duncan's, her mouth falls open.

"What are you _doing?_"

* * *

><p>"No, no. She's fine. My boy just..." Mr. Evans trails off, upon making the dreaded phone call to the Callahan family, who are worried sick about their daughter disappearing from the lawn. Honestly, he has no idea <em>how <em>to finish his sentence.

"No more kidnapping." Emily says sternly from the other side of the living room, waving her finger at the two boys, who hang in their head in mock-shame. She can't believe she has to tell her six year old son this.

"Okay." The boys echo in unison, sending little smiles to each other.

"I mean it," She adds for good measure, though she's always known Duncan would be a troublemaker.

They just send her big smiles, neither feeling guilty in the slightest.

Courtney comes down the steps then, clothing now a little dryer, and feeling a bit warmer. She stands in the middle of the two boys, and Emily smiles slightly at the height difference between the three.

"Are you ready to go home now, sweetie?" Emily asks Courtney, who still looks a bit shaken from the whole mess.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry these two put your through such an ordeal." Emily apologizes, tugging Courtney's little snow-hat down so it covers her ears properly.

Courtney shrugs. "It's okay." Then a frown graces her face. "Mrs. Evans?"

"Yes, Courtney?"

"What does it mean to sleep with the fishes?"

Mrs. Evans hopes the power will come on, soon.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Based on my Saturdays, where Pokemon and Winx Club were the two things I got up for in the morning. Review~<strong>


	4. Christmas

**AN: In order for me to post the next chapter, I'd like to reach forty-five reviews! So guys, I'm not asking you to review every chapter, just drop in and leave me a little something to let me know you like it!**

* * *

><p>Christmas was four days away.<p>

Mrs. Evans, deciding to pick up a couple of last minute things, heads to the mall with an ecstatic Duncan.

It turns into a mistake, when he grabs every toy that he comes across off the shelf, and asks if he can have it.

"What about this one? It _lights up, _mom!" Duncan shouts, waving the plastic gun in front of her face, with a look so serious you'd think he was saying it could speak proper English.

"Duncan, for the last time, no. You already have all your Christmas presents." Emily replies with a hint of irritation, taking the item from him and setting it back on the shelf. "Maybe Santa will bring it to you." She adds, to wipe the disappointed look from his face. Like she suspected, he smiles.

He's quiet most of the time, as she goes from shop to shop, picking out little things for distant relatives and friends. She's in the _Sport Chek,_ when Duncan pulls on her sleeve.

"What about my friends? Can I get them something, too?" Emily considers this, adding up costs and how many kids are in his class. Because after all, if you get one person something, you need to get them _all _something.

"I'm not sure we can afford that, sweetie," She pauses, noticing his pout and glassy eyes, that she thinks he's perfected, and is ashamed that even she isn't immune to it. "Well, only for your _best _friends, alright?" She's forced to scrap the _buying for the whole class _idea.

Lighting up once more, he bobs his head in a nod, and points back to the toy store not too far away. "Can I go in there?" Not keen on letting him go off on his own in such a crowded mall, she takes his hand and they begin their trek toward the store.

Christmas is two days away; Duncan has a small gift for all his friends.

Except now he wants one more.

It's six AM on the dot, when Emily and Carter Evans are shaken from their sleep, on account of their son rattling the bed.

"Mom! Dad! I have to buy one more present!" He shouts; the earliness of the hour is lost on him.

"Duncan, go back to bed." His dad grumbles into his pillow, cursing the gods for giving him such a high-strung little boy. Why couldn't he be more like Mrs. Tanner's son? He sits nicely, eats his vegetables, and doesn't laugh every time someone says _poo._

Always the caring, peacemaker, Mrs. Evans slowly sits up in bed, and faces her son. "What's the matter, Dunc?"

"I _need _to buy one more gift! Please!" Duncan exclaims, urgency and slight panic written all over his face

"Did you break one of your friends' toys?" She asks, pulling on her bathrobe and attempting to locate her slippers.

"No," He _thinks _Geoff's Power Ranger still has it's head. "I forgot someone."

"Who?"

Even in the faint light streaming in from the hallway, Emily can see the flush his cheeks take. "N-No one special."

She already knows the perfect gift.

Walking over to her dresser drawer, she tugs it open and rummages for a minute, feeling Duncan's gaze burning a hole into her back all the while. Finally, she pulls out a small box, and pops open the top. Another couple moments of going through old jewelry, Emily smiles.

Gesturing for Duncan to stick out his hand, she drops a necklace into his palm. It's got a silver chain with a teardrop shaped purple Cubic Zirconium gem. "She'll like this," Emily says gently, leaning down to kiss her son's still pink cheek.

"Mom," He mumbles in complaint, rubbing at his kissed cheek in annoyance, but then throws his arms around her waist while giving a squeeze. "Thanks..."

It's noon, Christmas day.

Duncan has delivered his gifts to all his friends, and even gotten some in return. The moment of truth comes, when they pull up to Courtney's home.

"Um," Duncan's face is so pink, Emily wants to squeal. "Can you go over there?" He points farther up the street, while trying to hide his face in embarrassment.

Emily smiles, leaning over to peck his head. "Of course, sweetie. I'll be back in two minutes."

Duncan nods, then climbs out of the car, before marching somewhat confidently up to her doorstep.

He knocks once his mom's car disappears from plain sight, and rocks back and forth on his heels. "This is for you." He whispers under his breath, trying to get what he wants to say right. "No, that's dumb." He thinks for another minute. "Merry Christmas...?" He doesn't have time to think anymore, as the door swings open.

He says the first thing that comes to his mind, as he eyes the old lady standing there. "You're old. Are you Courtney's mom?"

Thankfully, the elder lady laughs lightly, and shakes her head. "No, I'm her grandmother." That makes more sense.

"Is Courtney here?" Duncan asks hopefully, hand clenched around the necklace he'd shoved into his pants pocket, after trying and failing to wrap it for the third time.

Her smile slips a little. "I'm afraid not, sonny."

"My name's Duncan, not Sonny." He corrects her, frowning in confusion.

Courtney's grandma chuckles once. "Well, it's nice to meet you Duncan."

He nods. "Will Courtney be back, later?"

"Oh, no... She's in the hospital."

Duncan's hand uncurls from around his gift. He hates the hospital; it's where he went when he broke his wrist last year. The doctors always pat him on the head, and call him Buddy, no matter how many times he tell them his name. Their hands are always cold, they always tell him what to do, and the whole building smells like cleaning supplies. It's a horrible place.

"Okay." Is all he can say, in utter disappointment, pulling his hand all the way out of his pocket, and letting it drop to his side.

He climbs into the car when his mom pulls back up.

Gifts are only special on Christmas.

He's quiet the whole way home.


	5. Sickness

**AN: A very short, filler-ish chapter, but the next one will be better, I promise! It should be up, later today. By the way guys, THANK YOU, SO MUCH. Fifty reviews? That's five more than I even asked for! You guys are amazing!  
><strong>

* * *

><p>It was four days until Christmas.<p>

Courtney had a fever.

"Mommy," She croaks, blinking in an attempt to clear her fuzzy vision. She felt awful; coughing, nose running, burning fever that made everything seem like a dream... She was ready to wake up from it, now.

"Poor Ducky," Mrs. Callahan coos, feeling her daughter's forehead and cheeks, frowning at the warmth. "Would you like me to make you some chicken noodle soup?"

Courtney nods, and tries to focus on the fact that Christmas is so close, so she has to get better.

She eyes the small red fire engine amongst all the girly toys her mother had helped her pick out for her friends, a week ago. She picked that one all on her own.

She couldn't explain to herself why she felt the need to give _him_ a gift at all; he'd cut her hair, and kidnapped her. Which was probably the reason why she was so sick. And yet, here she was, rewarding bad behavior when all he should really get is a time out and maybe a spanking. Not from her, of course, as she'd only ever given her stuffed bear a spanking once, and it had hurt her more than it hurt him.

Shaking her head to clear her bizarre thoughts, she realizes the motion only makes her dizzier, and groans weakly. Lifting her head slightly from her stack of pillows, she looks out the window and gazes at the still falling snow. She images every little snowflake is an angel, floating down from the sky, ready to help Santa Clause spread Christmas cheer. She's not sold on the whole _elf _business. Angels make much more sense, not tiny, funny dressed boys. The angels will makes her feel better, she's sure of it.

"Here, Ducky," Her mother returns with a piping hot bowl of soup, and smiles at Courtney.

Mommy's soup helps, too.

It's two days before Christmas.

Courtney's fever is worse.

Her muscles ache, and she keeps coughing until her shoulders shake violently. Her chest won't stop pounding and her throat is throbbing in pain, every time she swallows.

Her parents are worried, but they continue to try and doctor her with soup and vitamins. The doctor they had taken her to had prescribed the same thing; bed rest and lots of soup. Why wasn't she getting better?

Courtney had decided she didn't like doctors. The cold metal device they used to listen to her heart with, always made her feel uncomfortable, and she couldn't even pronounce the name of it. They treated her like a little girl; she's almost _seven, _which is much too old for people to be so condescending.

And, they poked her with a needle. She doesn't like needles.

She doesn't want to see another doctor again.

It's four thirty-six, Christmas morning.

Courtney finds out the hospital is a much worse place.

She won't let the little fire engine out of her arms.


	6. Pressure

Emily worries when Duncan remains silent throughout dinner, looking crushed and disappointed. Carter tells her not to worry, but being a mother, you _always _worry.

When he doesn't perk up by bedtime that night, Emily decides she's had enough.

"Duncan?" She murmurs softly, rapping twice against his door before letting herself in, eyeing his small bedroom covered in toys, dishes, -she's told him a million times not to eat in his bedroom- and other knickknacks.

He's curled up in bed, arms clasped around Petey's neck, the latter looking just as depressed as the former. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or am I going to have to tickle it out of you?"

A spark of emotion flickers through Duncan, and he tries to maneuver so Petey acts as a human shield. As he does so, the large Bloodhound decides he's had enough snuggle time, and jumps off the bed anyway, leaving the boy defenseless.

"Traitor." Duncan mumbles under his breath, crossing his arms over his stomach in a vain attempt to keep his mother from attacking that area with her tickling fingers.

"Tell me what's wrong," Emily says in a sing-song voice, wiggling her fingers in front of him almost threateningly, though a big smile takes over her face.

Duncan stares at her fingers, then up into her eyes, before he frowns. "I couldn't give Courtney her present."

Emily mirrors his sullen expression, before plopping down next to him. She notices a glint of purple from under his dresser; it all makes sense now. "Oh, sweetie pie, why not? Too shy?" That's one thing Duncan has never, ever been, but there's always a first for everything.

"No," He snaps, as if being called shy is an actual insult to him. "She's in the hospital." He leans forward, burying his face in her midsection as he says the words, making it sound jumbled and confusing. Still, Mrs. Evans understands enough, as she proceeds to rub his back in a comforting motion.

"I'm sorry, Dunc. Do you know why?"

They sit and talk, -well, Duncan mostly picks at loose strings on his quilt, and grumbles out the occasional response- for twenty more minutes before Emily decides it's way past his bedtime.

"We'll go see her tomorrow, okay?"

Duncan's expression brightens. "Really?"

She nods, smiling. "I'm sure if she's still there, she'll be allowed visitors."

Duncan climbs out of bed and drops to his knees in front of his dresser. He sticks his hand underneath it, fishing around until he finally pulls out the shiny necklace and smiles to himself.

The next morning, Duncan's dropped off at Mrs. Tanner's place, so Mr. and Mrs. Evans can go to work, for the day. Emily promised him, as soon as five o'clock came around, they would go visit Courtney.

Duncan doesn't mind staying over there; Mrs. Tanner always has freshed baked cookies waiting for him, and her son is okay, sometimes.

"Watch this!" He exclaims, running toward the soccer ball sitting innocently on the snow-covered ground, he goes to kick, misses completely, and lands flat on his back.

Duncan laughs; if nothing else, Tyler is a great source of amusement.

Heaving himself off the ground, he brushes himself off with his cheeks turning red in embarrassment. "The snow's slippery! I slipped!"

Duncan nods, still laughing. His dad says eating vegetables will make you grow up big and strong, -or was that milk?- but considering Tyler eats all his vegetables and is still shorter than he is, Duncan doesn't think he's missing out on much.

"What's that?" Tyler asks suddenly, pointing at the strand of silver sticking out of the dark haired boy's pocket.

He looks, and quickly shoves it deep into his jeans. "It's nothing."

"Show me!"

"No."

"Come on, show me!"

"No!"

This goes on for a minute, before Tyler pounces on Duncan, and the two begin rolling in the snow like animals.

They tumble, fight, and yell, as Tyler rips the necklace from the boy's pocket and examines it. For split second, Duncan thinks he _should _start eating some vegetables.

"Give it back!" Duncan demands, trying to wrestle out from under Tyler who has him very effectively pinned to the ground.

"Why do you have a purple necklace?"

"It's for Courtney!" He blurts it out before he can stop himself, then tries to feebly stutter up an excuse, but comes up empty handed.

Tyler bursts out laughing then grins wickedly at Duncan. "Stupid Courtney in our class?"

"Don't call her stupid." It comes out as a pitiful whisper.

Tyler gasps, a look of disbelief on his face. "You're a girl liker!"

Horror freezes up the other's insides. "Am not!"

"Are too! You're giving her a necklace! _You like her!_"

"I do not!" He argues back. All the while; scrambling through all the memories he has of her, trying to pinpoint where he stopped thinking she was stupid, himself.

"Girls have cooties! Girl likers are stupid! If you're a girl liker, you're stupid too!" Tyler continues yelling, waving the necklace in his face.

Duncan doesn't want everyone to think he's stupid...

Suddenly, going to the hospital seems like the worst idea in the world.

* * *

><p>It's nine AM when Emily Evans calls the local hospital, and asks if there's a Courtney Callahan staying with them. There is.<p>

Emily speaks to Courtney's mother, and they set up a time for the Evans' to visit.

Courtney listens to her mother's replies to whatever Duncan's mom is saying, smiling to herself and glancing at the firetruck sitting on the nightstand beside her.

She still feels incredibly dizzy, has thrown up more than once, and wants nothing more than to be able to sleep without her dreams being twisted by her fever. The doctors come in every hour to check her over, and sometimes to give her some icky medicine that tastes like dirty feet, but it makes her feel a little better so she chokes it down.

"Mrs. Evans and her son will be dropping by today, at five." Courtney's mother tells her, patting her leg and giving her a soft smile.

"I can give him his gift!" She beams then blushes when Mrs. Callahan shushes her.

"Now now, Ducky, don't be rushing off to marriage so soon." Sarah Callahan winks at her daughter who looks terrified at the mention of matrimony.

She doesn't want to _marry_ him! She doesn't even like him!

_"You could of played with him, too." _His words from the snow day that led up to her catching this illness, come to mind. He was so close; she noticed how pretty his eyes were.

Boys are gross, mean, and dumb.

Everyone would make fun of her for liking Duncan, even if she can deny it to herself.

Five o'clock comes.

Courtney hid his firetruck under her hospital bed.

He doesn't show up.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm late, I'm late, I know! Writers block is a terrrible thing. So is peer pressure. Review~<strong>


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